


ShuMako Week 2021 Day 7: Separation and Reuinion/Missing You

by Jakebroe



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Mutual Pining, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 13:22:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29950614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jakebroe/pseuds/Jakebroe
Summary: Ren promised himself that he would do anything to protect those he loved most, especially his beloved Makoto. He just wishes that things could have gone better before he turned himself in. Little does he know, Makoto has been feeling the same way.
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Niijima Makoto, Kurusu Akira/Niijima Makoto, Niijima Makoto/Persona 5 Protagonist
Kudos: 10
Collections: ShuMako Week 2021





	ShuMako Week 2021 Day 7: Separation and Reuinion/Missing You

It had been months since Ren had last heard from anyone, other than the occasional news about the case of his trial. He knew that he would probably be sent to juvie, given his criminal record, no matter how unfair it may be. He spent his nights curled up in his cell, crying himself to sleep, wondering how things could have gone so wrong. They had caught Akechi, changed Shido's heart, and even defeated Yaldabaoth, the corrupt god who had been manipulating their reality. They had done everything they could, but Ren was still the only person who could save his friends from the same fate he was enduring. He imagined everyone being locked away, separated from the other prisoners and labelled as dangerous, especially Makoto. He imagined his girlfriend in a padded cell like his, begging to be released from the same anguish he was suffering. That’s when he would start to bawl his eyes out, only to be hollered at by the guard to keep quiet. He wished he could have changed how that night had ended. He wanted nothing more than to tell her what he had to do and why he had to do it. Maybe then, she would understand and not hate him. He felt like he ruined their relationship by not telling her why he had to do what he agreed to: that he loves and he cares about her too much to see her in danger’s way.

Little did he know, Makoto had been feeling the same. Her nights were spent with her huddled under her blanket, scrolling through her album of pictures of her and Ren. She smiled at how happy they looked in the pictures, but her smile soon faded when she remembered that they weren’t able to be together anymore. He was stuck in a prison, coming to grips with the fact that he would have to serve a sentence he didn’t deserve. She would sit up at night and look out her window, to the empty and dark streets below her and Sae’s apartment. She thought of how desolate it looked, and how lonely Ren must have been feeling, isolated from everyone and having no one to hold or even speak to. Sometimes, she would also fall asleep with tears running down her face at how hopeless she felt, not being able to save her boyfriend, with whom she had sworn to be equals; to share everything with each other. She started to regret leaving him alone in his attic bedroom, on Christmas Eve. She wished she could have seen him one last time to apologize to him, but, by the time she came back, she had been too late. All she wanted was one last chance to change how they had left off; to tell him how much she loves him and wanted to be with him.

However, on February 13, 20XX, his fate would be changed. He was woken up by the sound of the guard banging on the door to his cell; he had a visitor. He jumped up from his bed and walked to the door, only to be cuffed at both his hands and feet and led to the room where inmates were allowed to speak with their visitors. It had been a month since he had seen anyone other than his lawyer, and that someone was Makoto. The two had spent their entire allotted time, even though it was very limited, touching the Plexiglas separating them and talking of what they would do when he was released. Makoto had told him that she would do anything she could to help get him out of there. That feeling of hope had lasted a while, until he started to hear less and less and, eventually, nothing at all from the outside world.

When he got to his seat, he was shocked to see Sae, who had taken it upon herself to represent him as her first client as a defense attorney.

"How're you feeling?" Sae asked, concerned. “You look like hell.”

Ren had no answer; he was too shocked to see her. He just gave a sigh and hung his head.

Over the last month and a half, she had been working with Ren to build a defense for him. Even though she knew all the stuff about the Metaverse would be extremely tough to use in his defense, she felt that they had a really solid defense against all of his charges. These meetings had helped Ren hold out a little bit of hope that he would be able to not only be free, but see Makoto again. Not to mention, she had been talking to the others, who had been going around and trying to find anyone with anything to help prove how he isn’t a dangerous criminal, but a kind and caring person who wouldn’t hurt anyone.

"Ren," Sae said, trying to get him to look up. "You're a free man." She smiled as she said that last part.

Ren quickly jumped up in his seat and started to choke on his words.

"I-I um..." he said, trying to muster up a coherent sentence.

Sae interjected. "We were able to track down that woman you saved last spring. She gave her testimony about what really happened that night. That, on top of the seemingly limitless testimonies about your deeds over the last year in Tokyo, were all the judge needed to overturn your sentence and rescind your criminal record."

Ren was too overcome with emotion to say anything other than a choked up "thank you" to Sae. He wanted to hug her right there.

"I know you want to get out as quick as possible, so I'm going to go and fill out the papers for your release. Sakura-san is here for you, as well." Sae smiled at him before she hung up the phone next to her and got up to finalize his release.

Ren returned to his cell to await his release. On his way, he started crying, though these tears were those of joy and not despair. He hurriedly cleaned himself up in his cell, a smile on his face. The face in the mirror was not one of a convict or a criminal, but one of a free man. The first thing he wanted to do was find Makoto and hug her, without ever letting go. He just wanted to be in the presence of the person he loved the most.

When he was finally released from his cell, he was escorted outside to where Sojiro was waiting for him.

"C'mon, kid," the older man said, with a smile, from his car. "I've been waiting for you."

His familiar voice brought a smile to Ren's face. He took a deep breath of fresh air, which felt so much better now that he was free.

Sojiro dropped Ren off at LeBlanc, so he could pick up food for a party. Ren smiled and took another deep breath before opening the door to the cafe. As he opened the door, he was met by a shout from all of his friends.

"Welcome home!" they shouted.

Makoto pushed through the group, a furious glare on her pretty face. He opened his arms to her, only for her to smack him across his face.

“Well, I deserved that one I guess”, he thought as he rubbed his cheek, Makoto dropped her glare and buried herself in his chest, shaking silently.

"Don't ever do that to me again," she said, tears starting to flow down her face.

Ren squeezed her tight to him, savouring the warmth of her embrace.

"I'm sorry, Mako," he said, kissing her head. "I couldn't risk you guys getting in trouble, too."

The others in the group beamed at the sight of their two leaders holding each other finally reunited, not just as friends but as lovers.

Ren and Makoto held each other as they walked to the middle booth, so they could all celebrate Ren's release.

They had an amazing time, filled with amazing food and drinks, but all Ren needed was to be with his friends, whom he had never thought he'd see again. After a while, they started to slowly disperse, leaving Ren and Makoto alone and together. After the last of the group had left, the two decided to move their cuddling upstairs, to his attic bedroom, where they had last seen each other before Ren turned himself in.

"I missed you so much," Makoto said, pulling Ren closer and closer to her. "You had me worried sick."

Ren looked to Makoto. "I'm so sorry, Makoto," he said. "I knew you would try to stop me if I told you what I was doing. I couldn't risk you being hurt or treated like a criminal by the police. It would have been all my fault, and I couldn't live with myself if I let you get hurt."

"Ren..." Makoto whispered, struggling to hold back her tears as she buried her face in his side.

"I love you, Mako," Ren said. He kissed her head and ran his hand through her soft, brown hair; it was a feeling he missed dearly. “I’ll never leave you again, I promise.”

"I love you, too, Ren”, Makoto said, pulling him closer and hugging him tightly. ”Please, always stay by my side."

Any sort of hesitation they had about their relationship disappeared after those words. They had never said it to each other before. After months of struggling to affirm their love for each other, they were finally bonded to each other for good, and were ready to face the future with the strength of their love.   


**Author's Note:**

> The end of ShuMako Week 2021 is here. I wish I had written more, but I didn't have the time to. I hope you enjoyed both my pieces, as well as all the other amazing stuff that people made this year.  
> Thanks, Ric99 for proofreading/editing!


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